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Captains Michael Shields and Michael Murphy before throw-in. Cathal Noonan/INPHO
AS IT HAPPENED

As it happened: Cork v Donegal, Division 1 football league semi-final

Throw-in is 2pm at Croke Park.

IT WAS CORK against Donegal in the first of this year’s Division 1 football league semi-finals. We were live from Croke Park with all the action.

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Result: Cork 4-11 Donegal 0-20

Afternoon all and welcome along to Croke Park. It’s Cork against Donegal first on the menu today in the football league semi-finals. Throw-in is 2pm.

Here’s the Rebels side that starts.

Cork

1. Ken O’Halloran (Bishopstown)

17. Tom Clancy (Clonakilty)
3. Michael Shields (St. Finbarr’s) Capt.
4. James Loughrey (Mallow)

5. Conor Dorman (Bishopstown)
6. Brian O’Driscoll (Tadhg MacCarthaigh)
7. Tomás Clancy (Fermoy)

8. Eoin Cadogan (Douglas)
9. Fintan Goold (Macroom)

10. Colm O’Driscoll (Tadhg MacCarthaigh)
11. John O’Rourke (Carbery Rangers)
12. Kevin O’Driscoll (Tadhg MacCarthaigh)

13. Colm O’Neill (Ballyclough)
14. Mark Collins (Castlehaven)
15. Brian Hurley (Castlehaven)

And here’s the Donegal team.

Donegal

1. Michael Boyle (Termon)

2. Paddy McGrath (Ardara)
3. Neil McGee (Gweedore)
4. Éamon McGee (Gweedore)

5. Frank McGlynn (Glenfin)
6. Karl Lacey (Four Masters)
7. Anthony Thompson (Naomh Conaill)

8. Martin McElhinney (St Michael’s)
9. Christy Toye (St Michael’s)

10. Martin O’Reilly (Sean MacCumhaills)
11. Odhrán Mac Niallais (Gweedore)
12. Ryan McHugh (Kilcar)

13. Patrick McBrearty (Kilcar)
14. Michael Murphy (Glenswilly)
15. Colm McFadden (St Michael’s)

We’re ready for throw-in here.

Two late Donegal changes with Hugh McFadden in for Christy Toye and Eoin McHugh replacing Martin O’Reilly.

Cork 0-1 Donegal 0-0
Brilliant point by Brian Hurley to open the scoring.

Cork 0-1 Donegal 0-1
Anthony Thompson surges forward and clips over a point to bring Donegal level.

Donegal 0-3 Cork 0-1
Hawkeye makes the call that Michael Murphy blasted a shot just between the posts. Donegal move in front and they’re controlling midfield. Then it gets better as Patrick McBrearty slots over a point.

Donegal 0-3 Cork 0-2
Cork fight back with a good, swift team move and John O’Rourke steadies himself in space before popping over a point.

Cork 0-3 Donegal 0-3
Cork draw level. A score engineered by Fintan Goold as he wins a kickout and finished by the Macroom man off his left.

Brilliant play by Donegal as they cut Cork apart after Colm McFadden intercepted a Eoin Cadogan pass in midfield. He surges forward and plays a one-two with Ryan McHugh before shooting against the legs of Ken O’Halloran with a goal on the cards.

Donegal 0-4 Cork 0-3
Murphy steps up and knocks over the resultant ’45.

Tommy Grealy / INPHO Tommy Grealy / INPHO / INPHO

Tommy Grealy / INPHO Tommy Grealy / INPHO / INPHO

Donegal 0-5 Cork 0-3
McBrearty points to extend Donegal’s advantage.

Donegal 0-6 Cork 0-3
Eoin McHugh is fouled by Brian O’Driscoll and Murphy pops over the resultant free. Donegal dictating the terms so far.

Wide count so far is four to Donegal and three to Cork.

Donegal 0-7 Cork 0-3
Marvellous point by Odhrán MacNiallais, as he judges his kick into Hill 16 to perfection.

Donegal 0-7 Cork 0-4
Bit of respite for Cork. Good work by Conor Dorman to carry the ball from his half-back slot and he shrugs off the challenges to take his point.

Brian Cutbert Cork boss Brian Cuthbert. Cathal Noonan / INPHO Cathal Noonan / INPHO / INPHO

Goal for Cork!

Cork 1-4 Donegal 0-7
We’ve got our first goal of the game! It comes from the unlikely source of Cork defender Tom Clancy – the Clonakilty version – but huge credit has to go to Colm O’Neill for catching a high ball brilliantly under pressure and fisting it across where Clancy was unmarked.

Donegal 0-8 Cork 1-4
Donegal fight back with Murphy picking off a splendid point.

Donegal 0-9 Cork 1-4
Karl Lacey gets forward for his first point of the day for Donegal.

Donegal 0-10 Cork 1-5
Points swapped with McBrearty hitting a free for Donegal and Goold striking his second point for Cork.

Donegal 0-10 Cork 1-7
Another Hawkeye verdict and Cork profit as Fintan Goold is awarded a point. Nice play by Brian Hurley to set him up there. Then Cork tie the game with Colm O’Driscoll on target.

Good open game of football so far.

Donegal 0-11 Cork 1-7
Plenty shots on goal today by Colm McFadden but he’d hit three wides until now he as finally gets off the mark and nudges Donegal in front.

Donegal 0-11 Cork 1-8
Looks like we’ll be going in all square at the break. Colm O’Neill swivels to pick a point off his right after good work by Brian Hurley to create the chance.

Half-Time: Cork 1-8 Donegal 0-11

All square then at the break, here’s the first-half scorers:

Cork: Fintan Goold 0-3, Tom Clancy 1-0, Conor Dorman, Colm O’Driscoll, John O’Rourke, Brian Hurley, Colm O’Neill 0-1 each.

Donegal: Michael Murphy 0-4 (0-1 ’45, 0-1f), Patrick McBrearty 0-3 (0-1f), Karl Lacey, Odhrán MacNiallais, Colm McFadden, Anthony Thompson 0-1 each.

Second-half back under way here.

Colm O'Neill with Michael Murphy Cork's Colm O'Neill and Donegal's Michael Murphy. Tommy Grealy / INPHO Tommy Grealy / INPHO / INPHO

Cork 1-9 Donegal 0-11
First blood to Cork in the second-half as Colm O’Neill taps over a close-range free following  a foul on Kevin O’Driscoll.

Goal for Cork by Colm O’Neill!

Goal for Cork from Brian Hurley!

Cork 3-9 Donegal 0-12
What a boost for Cork as they hit two goals in quick succession! O’Neill struck the first. John O’Rourke exchanged passes with Conor Dorman before angling in a point attempt off his left. The ball strikes the upright and comes back down where O’Neill fists it perfectly beyond Michael Boyle. Then Brian Hurley out muscles Paddy McGrath, turns inside and plants the ball to the roof of the net. In between Martin McElhinney pointed but it’s Cork who are on top and six clear.

Sub: Eamonn Doherty on for Donegal for Anthony Thompson.

Cork 3-10 Donegal 0-13
Another fine point by Donegal from midfielder McElhinney but it’s cancelled out by a point from Fintan Goold for Cork.

Sub: Martin Reilly is in for Donegal as Eoin McHugh makes way.

Cork 3-10 Donegal 0-15
Murphy from a free and McFadden from play help Donegal eat into Cork’s advantage.

Cork 3-10 Donegal 0-16
McFadden’s quick thinking sees him kick a free short to Murphy and he has the time and space to point.

Sub: Christy Toye in for Donegal for Paddy McGrath.

Big goal chance for Donegal as Toye floats in a long ball that sets McBrearty clear but his shot is blocked by the advancing Ken O’Halloran and Cork clear their lines.

Cork 3-11 Donegal 0-16
Captain Michael Shields comes forward to inject urgency to Cork’s play as he swaps passes with Eoin Cadogan before kicking off a fantastic point from the right wing.

John O'Rourke with Hugh McFadden Cork's John O'Rourke and Donegal's Hugh McFadden. Tommy Grealy / INPHO Tommy Grealy / INPHO / INPHO

Sub: Cork bring in Paul Kerrigan for the injured Shields.

Cork 3-11 Donegal 0-17
Murphy slots over a ’45 for Donegal.

Goal for Colm O’Neill for Cork!

Cork 4-11 Donegal 0-17
Could that be the decisive score? Cork get their fourth goal of the day and it’s Colm O’Neill who rolls a shot to the net after Brian Hurley surged clear and played it across. Kevin O’Driscoll was key at the origins of the move with a great turnover as he stole the ball from Frank McGlynn.

Subs: Cork bring in Daniel Goulding for Kevin O’Driscoll while Donegal have brought on Stephen Griffen for Colm McFadden.

Nearly a fifth goal for Cork as Conor Dorman gets through but he’s under pressure and the ball trickles wide.

Subs: Cork bring on Barry O’Driscoll for Brian O’Driscoll while Donegal replace Hugh McFadden with Daniel McLaughlin.

Sub: John Hayes comes in for Cork for Brian Hurley.

Sub: Donal Óg Hodnett is on for Cork for John O’Rourke.

Cork 4-11 Donegal 0-18
Classy score by McBrearty as Donegal cut the gap to five. Time running out for them though.

Cork 4-11 Donegal 0-20
Murphy with another point at the death for Donegal.

Full-Time: Cork 4-11 Donegal 0-20

Job done then for Cork as their greater goalscoring power proves crucial. They advance to the decider on April 26th.

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